A year's worth of rain in 24 hours: Why usually dry Dubai is underwater

The United Arab Emirates (UAE), which is known for its arid climate, on Tuesday experienced an unprecedented torrential rain, heaviest in 75 years, that disrupted daily life in the country located at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula and shares borders with Oman and Saudi Arabia.

According to weather observations at the airport, nearly four inches (100 mm) of rain fell in just 12 hours, which is roughly equivalent to what Dubai receives in a year, according to United Nations data.

The weather has prompted flight diversions, and cancellations and has even forced schools and other educational institutions to shut down. The runway of the Dubai International Airport was also submerged, and roads were converted into rivers.

But how did UAE’s dry and desert-filled landscape experience heavy rains? How has it brought the nation to a halt.

Flights delayed; cloud seeding contributed

The rains began late Monday, soaking Dubai’s sands and roadways with 20 millimetres (0.79 inches) of rain, according to meteorological data collected at Dubai International Airport. The storms intensified around 9 am local time Tuesday and lasted throughout the day, dumping more rain and hail on the already overburdened city.

By the end of Tuesday, Dubai had received more than 142 millimetres (5.59 inches) of rain in 24 hours. Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest for international travel and a hub for the long-haul carrier Emirates, receives 94.7 millimetres (3.73 inches) of rain on average per year, which led the airport to suspend operations for 25 minutes and cancelled more than 50 flights.

“Due to the intense storm, operations were temporarily suspended for 25 minutes this afternoon, but have since recommenced, and are now in recovery mode,” a Dubai Airports spokesperson said.

The Dubai website also listed several flights that had been delayed or cancelled, including those to India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the UK, as per a Business Today report.

On Wednesday (17 April) morning, Dubai International Airport issued a warning to travellers to “check your flight status… and allow significant extra travel time to the airport”, added the report.

Several reports claimed that cloud seeding contributed to the torrential rains that caused severe flooding across the arid country. The UAE began cloud seeding operations in 2002 to address water security concerns, despite the fact that several areas lacked proper drainage systems, which could lead to flooding.

According to CNN, the rain is part of a larger storm system affecting the Arabian Peninsula and the Gulf of Oman. This same system is also causing unusually wet weather in neighbouring Oman and southeastern Iran.

Lightening touching Burj Khalifa’s tip, schools shut

Torrential rain flooded roads, homes and malls and briefly halted operations at Dubai’s airport as storms lashed the Gulf on Tuesday, after leaving at least 18 dead in Oman.

Dubai, the West Asia’s financial centre, was paralysed by the heavy storms that caused widespread flooding around the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

Flagship shopping centres Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates both suffered flooding and water was ankle-deep at least one Dubai Metro station.

Lightning was seen flashing across the sky, occasionally touching the tip of the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building.

Roads and residential communities also suffered heavy flooding in scenes repeated around the oil-rich Emirates, a desert country where rain is an unusual event.

Schools were shut across the UAE and were expected to remain closed on Wednesday, when further storms, including hail, are forecast.

The Asian Champions League football semi-final between the UAE’s Al Ain and Saudi side Al Hilal, due to be hosted in Al Ain, was postponed for 24 hours because of the weather.

‘For the first time it scares me’

Some inland areas of the UAE recorded more than 80 millimetres (3.2 inches) of rain over the 24 hours to 8.00 am, approaching the annual average of about 100mm.

The weather board “urged residents to take all the precautions… and to stay away from areas of flooding and water accumulation” in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

Both the Emirati and Omani governments have previously warned that climate change is likely to lead to more flooding.

Individual weather events are often difficult to link to climate change, but scientists say that it increases both the likelihood and strength of extreme weather events.

Bahrain was also hit by heavy rain and flooding after being pummelled by thunder and lightning overnight.

“I like to play in the rain, but for the first time it scares me,” said nine-year-old Ali Hassan, as he helped his mother clear water from outside their house in Manama.

“I was terrified by the sound of thunder and the sky was lit by lightning. I had never seen anything like this, so I hid with my mother… the sound of rain scared me.”

The storms descended on the UAE, Bahrain and areas of Qatar after passing over Oman, where they caused deadly floods and left dozens stranded.

A child’s body was recovered on Tuesday, bringing the death toll to 18 with two people missing, emergency authorities told the official Oman News Agency.

Nine schoolchildren and three adults died when their vehicles were swept away in flash floods, the news agency reported on Sunday.

With inputs from agencies